The Los Angeles Lakers are down 0-3 to the Dallas Mavericks. You generally never count the defending champion Lakers out of anything, but in this case there’s no reason to think they are going to win the next four games and advance to the Western conference finals.
But if you ask Kobe Bryant about it, would you expect him to accept defeat? Should he? Of course not. Kevin Ding of the OC Register reports:
Kobe Bryant described himself as “very confident” Saturday, even with the Lakers staring at a 3-0 series deficit against the Dallas Mavericks.
“Just relax and play,” Bryant said.
Bryant huddled with friend and fellow captain Derek Fisher after Game 3 (included in my column about the Lakers’ late-game choking is them not leaving the locker room till more than an hour after the game) and after a night’s sleep stuck with his belief that the Lakers could minimize mistakes and build new momentum.
I’m thinking the Lakers win the next game. Maybe even two. But I think the Mavs win the series in five or six games. Probably five.
